NEW ORLEANS — LSU plays Alabama this year in Tuscaloosa as the number one and number two ranked teams, respectively.  If you can’t hit the road for the game, there are some great places to watch the battle on TV, regardless of which team you’re cheering for.

In Baton Rouge, the Chimes sits just outside the LSU gates, so it’s no mystery that it’s other location in Covington is also a big hit with Tigers fans for football watching.

“We try to get the exciting music going. We have some game day drink specials that we run throughout the game as well,” Chimes manager Haley Defraites tells WGNO.

This year’s crowd should be a good one, judging on the cheering that occurred in 2011 when the Tigers beat Bama.  In fact, you’ll see video from the Chimes crowd — that night — in the video at the top of this page.

On the other side of the lake, in the Warehouse District, there’s another hot spot for Alabama-LSU watching, and this one is just as much about the Tide as Tigers.

“Over a thousand people in the metro area are Alabama alum, so this is kind of a safe place for them in Tiger country,” David Brown says.  Brown went to the University of Alabama and owns the Rusty Nail.

Brown also remembers the 2011 season and the Tigers-Tide rematch for the national championship that season.  In fact, with so many fans in town, the Rusty Nail hosted a block party.  To get a better idea of what that party was like, click on the video button at the top of the page.

Nobody knows who will come out on top this year, but both the Chimes and Rusty Nail are certain they’ll have great crowds of cheering fans.